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RECEPTION 



OF 



M. Y. JOHNSON AND D. SHEEAN, ESQS, 






-A.t Cralena, Illinois. 



On their Return, Honorably Discharged, from the Bastiles. 
Forts LaFayette, and Delaware, 



THE SPEECHES DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION, AND AN ACCOUNT 
OF PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS. 



Galena • Pbixtsd at thk Omcs o» TBfi Dkmocbat. 
1868. 



9 
.Gr/5" 



.A.vtoitrai'v Arrests RopiicliatodL 



From tht GVifcaa Duily Dimorrat of JJse. 21 

Noble Sentiments' 

In our last issue we placed before the 
readers oi the Democrat a letter, written 
by David Shee.an Esq., just after his re- 
lease from Fort La Fayette, and addressed 
to a personal friend of his in this city. — 
We to-day print a letter written by him 
on the ViiXx instant and addressed to the 
Judge Advocate, in reply to an official in- 
timation that he would be discharged on 
his parole, by taking an oath similar to the 
one which had been administered to others 
in similar circumstances. As will be seen, 
he indignantly spurned the proposal, fair 
enough on its face, but evidently intended 
to entrap an innocent man into that which 
might be construed to his disadvantage. 
But Mr. Sheean, conscious of his innocence, 
and determined to come out of the furn- 
ace into which he had been cast without 
the smell of fire upon his garments, re- 
buked the insolence, of office, and stood 
firmly and defiantly upon bis integrity, and 
boldiy vindicated his patriotism and his 
manhood. From our heart of hearts we 
thank him for this magnificent display of 
moral courage; and we put it on record, 
as an example worthy of being imitated 
by the youngmen ofourStatoand nation. 
In a few hours he will be with us, "hon- 
orably discharged," and spontaneously 
honored by his friends and fellow citizens.' 
Let it never be forgotten that he refused 
to bow the knee to Ban], or worship at the 
bloody shrine of a political Moloch. If 
guilty of any crime, let him be fairly tried 
and justly punished, but until confronted 
by his accusei s, let him he held as inno- 
cent as Caesar' a wife — "not only free from 
guilt, but above suspicion." 

Oh Liberty ! What crime:? are perpetra- 
ted in thy name ! 



Foiit La Fayette, Dbc. 13, 1863. 

Major L. C. Turner, Judge Adiouttz, WuMn-y- 
ton City. 

Sir : — Your order for my release upon cundi- 
tion that I would give my parole that I would 
conduct myself as a leva] citizen, aud would 
not aid the rebellion, was presented to me last 
night. You well knew, both, from your inter- 
view with me here on the; 9th ef September last, 
and from my letters which have been intercept- 
ed aud sent to Washington since that time, 
that I would accept no conditions to get out qC 
Fort Lafayette that could nv implication place 
me in the wrong. You learn, too, from those 
letters that I valued my houor more than my 
life. Why, then, add insult to already accu- 
mulated injuries, by requring metotuake an 
admission of consummated and intended crime 
as the price of my liberty. Is it intended that 
after au attempt to destroy everything 1 hold 
dear, I must be degraded, in order that uo- , 
authorized aud "unwarranted proceedings 
against me may be palliated; that enemies wno 
have wickedly aided au exercise of arbitrury 
power to wrong me, may have an opportunity 
to justify their infamy by my own admissions ? 

My liberty has been taken from me— my life 
can with equal right betaken, but my honor is 
my own, and I shall keep it e»en at ttie expense 
of both. I hare heretofore lived true to 
the best inierests of the Union and Constitu- 
tion, and expect to die as 1 have lived. If the 
Government has any charges against me al- 
ledging the contrary, it is due to itselt and tu 
me to put me upon trial, and let me sutler the 
penalty, or permit me to vindicate myself by 
an acquittal. It is due to itself to punish the 
guilty and acquit the innocent— to protect and 
advocate the citizen — not to violate his rights, 
and then degrade him. 

Were I in the wrong — had I violated as much 
of the Constitution oi my country as has been 
done in my arrest by i» telegram,— spiriting me 
awav over a thousaud miles from my own 
State and incarceration for fifteen weeks, with- 
out condemnation or trial, or a knowledge w'iy 
1 was thus treated, I would not hesiUte to pur- 
chase my liberty at so cheap a sacrifice as the 
loss of whatever honor was left in me. As I 
know lam in the right, and have never violated 
any law, I shall never cringingly ask any lavors 
—much less admit bv implication or otherwise, 
any guilt, but insist that my rights as an 
American citizen shall be dealt out to me. 
The Government should not demand more, my 
sense of honor will not allow me to accept less. 
Tf hi'i/ ru/Jils will not lit. y ranted, then I tun at 
the further disposal of the powers thai, be, to 
execute upon me what they see fit and have 
the potoer to do. 

Yours Respectfully, 

Wavid" Sjussak. 



gM tjl czrxiafl ! ±rtiM.Q 



/6~i 



3 






Reception at Chicago. 

Our friends on their retain from the 
bistiles, were serenaded in Chicago, and 
thousands crowded around thetn at tin 
Sherman House, to take them by the hand, 
snd greettnem with joyful congratulations. 
The erowd around the house was immense, 
while a few of the skulk in g enemies oi 
freedom, under the cover of darkness, ex- 
pressed their Venom in hisses. SVe shall 
hereafter allude to this matter a;;ain, an;! 
r,nw merely mention it as a lesson of tin 
times. "While honest men rejoice at tin 
deliverance of the opr-n .ssed, ami the tri- 
umph of the innocent, let simpletons, 
kniives, and . hoddy politicians express 
their agony in any way they please. 



Preliminary Proceedings- 
The friends of Constitutional liberty in 
the city of Galena, held a meeting at the 
Council chamber on the eveningof the 1 7th 
inst., for the purpose of making suitable 
arrangements for the reception of two c* 
our citizens, XT. Y. Johnson and I)a\id 
Shevan, on their return from the Adminis- 
tration Bastiks, at whi<'h meeting Henry 
Marfield was called to the chair, and Jos- 
eph Barry was appointed Secretary. 

The following committees were then 
appointed 

ON riXANCK, 

II. II. Saritjre, B. C. StCyr, Robert Brand, E. 
Green, John Galvin. 

ox KTXKrTrox, 

Robert Brand. E. A. Collins, H. H. Cear. W. 
Dickson. Frederick Stahl H. W. Folt;:, - H. F. 
MeCloskey, Thos. Gooch, & Frazer, l». Shissler, 
John Adams. K. T. Ureen, Jas. Weldon, G>. 
Thorntk, Leo fcnoebeL G. Merkle, T. O'Msra, 
G. B. Melville, 15. C ffltyr John IMlmnn. W- 
Rahman. L. Schwab, H.Marrield, H. IMifliirr, 
Thos. O'Leary, M. P. SilTerburjj, A. C. Davis, 
U. D Howard, Oliver Marble, Michael Goftnuri, 
Charles E. Ouer, James McNolty, A. la, Cnni- 
roiB(?6, A. Gladden, C. R. Perkins,' Geo. Ferguson. 

ON INVITATION, 

_ E. A. Coilins, Thos. O'bearr J J, F. T.cal. it C. 
.^•Cvr, Thonirts Berniingham. L YonF.mden, 
F. Btirkc, J. H. Barggri ( • Klt% t'. Thos. McNnlfy. 

ON DON PlRi:s AND HRK WoWfciS. 

John S. Collins, Thomas Gooch. K T Greene, 
John M Farmer, W Graham, A J CmulfieH, John 
#oore, John Cary, P Fitapatrick, P Dufly, Jaa 



Weldon, Mike Caeserlr, Barnv bowling, Win 
Shea, J Fell. Pen r Da"*, Mntiliew Faueelt, H 
Bell, T Desmond, ib-nry MniliclJ, jr., Jmnes 
llrynan, John 1; ■•iiiiiiiL'linni, L VanEniden. L 
Carrol, J A Bockius, William O'llarn, Janus 
Lyon. 

ON Ml 'SIC AN'H CARRIAGES, 

n W rl%, P Bell, P Bollinger, G Collins, 
C Rosenthal. 

ON (il.M.K.U. AKKANm.MCNTS. 

F. Stahl, R. Brand, 11. W. Foltz, E. A. Collins 
1> Shissler. 

In addition to the names sn<r;:este'l as a r<>n\ 
iniitee ot lecept ion , tbc cflnjrniitee recommend 
that an invitation be extended lo nli citizens 
ivho <«*i make it convenient to join the abovf 
'ommittee on K°' n )r *>"' ,)U ''"' ears, to meet 
Messrs. Johnson and Sbceon, ond accompany 
•hem tothjs city. 



Eeturn of the Prisoners- 

The progress of M. Y. Johnson and D. 
Sheean, Ksqrs., from the I'epuUican Bas- 
tiles towards their homes in this city, wps 
such as could not fail to be highly grati- 
fying to them, and not less £b to their thou- 
sands of sympathising friends. ■ At Chi 
cage they were honored by an extempora- 
neous ovation, which demonstrated tlu> 
fact that the petty tyranny of our Repub- 
lican rulers is justly repudiated, while the 
negro worshippers vented their impotent 
spleen by efforts to disturb the resistless 
current which is sweeping away the rot- 
tenness of the most contemptible dynasty 
of negro-worshippers. At Freeport, the 
enthusiasm of the people burst forth m 
■ way to convince all but the wilfully Mind, 
that the game of arbitrary arrests in Illi- 
nois has been played out, and that, des- 
pite all the endeavors, on the part of the 
I'nion-haters, to perpetuate the reign of 
terror, the people are now sternly trcHftrnfl- 
in;; the right to think, to speak, and to 
<v t, in accordance with their own rlui'.-h- 
ed convicting. \( Scales' M^und and 
Council Hill, similar and equally enthusi- 
astic demonstration: were prfen : but it 
remained for the nntcirified Dcmoc'rnTs'of 
Jo Davievs County to crown the glory oi 
this most tnagdipcent expression of thr- 
public joy, in Galena, where these "honor 
ably discharged" and now triumphant 
victims of lawless oppression arc best 



known and most justly appreciated. We 
have neither time nor space to give 
the particulars of this grand recep- 
tion. Having before drawn a meagre 
outline of the proceedings, we herein place 
before our readers some of the speeches 
delivered on the occasion, and the names 
nf many of those who actively participa- 
ted in the affair, and joyously aided in 
accomplishing so gratifying a result. 



THE CECEPTION. 



Speeches of Messrs. Shissler, 
Johnson and Sheean, 



SPEECH OF MR. SHISSLER. 

Madison Y. Johnson and David 
Sitkkan : — Tt is my happy duty in behalf 
of the people, to express their heartfelt 
joy in greeting you on your return from a 
cruel tyrannic imprisonment. To-night, the 
public heart kindled with wild delight, 
extends to you a warm enthusiastic wel- 
come. 

You arc welcome, because you have 
stood up like noble and heroic men, when 
the rights and liberties of American citizens 
here, had been outraged and trampled 
down. Your prompt, decided, and ener- 
getic aetion in opposing this mad spirit of 
abolition fanaticism, which threatened to 
destroy every expression of constitutional 
liberty in our midst, caused you to become 
the shining mark for government spies, 
and official assassins. When you were 
dragged away and imprisoned in abolition 
basics, as the Constitution was violated 
in the person of one of you, it was a vio- 
lation as to all citizens. Your cause, then, 
became the people's cause. When you 
Buffered a long and painful imprisonment, 
it was in support of our Common rights 
under the Constitution. 

You are welcome, because the people 
believe you acted nobly and with heroic 
fortitude ; and to-night they vindicate your 
conduct; and renew their devotion to those 
great principles of public liberty, in sus- 
taining which you have suffered. If the 
wicked and corrupt men who administer 
this government, supposed that by the 
i practice of cruelty and wrong upon you, 
1 tbty could deter the democratic freemen 



of this County from the assertion of their 
rights, and cause men to respect and vote 
for them, they were bitterly disappointed. 
Where one of you was stricken down, a 
thousand men sprang up to sustain the 
cause of right and justice. The people re- 
membered you, and sustained your course at 
the polls, while they repudiated and con- 
demned the abolition traitors, who have 
brought woe, misery and death to our be- 
loved country. 

These enemies of our cherished eonst-1 
tution dragged you away, they incar- 
cerated others, but the cause of Ameri- 
can constitutional liberty, consecrated by 
the efforts of Jefferson tho author of the 
Declaration of Independence, by Madison 
the father of the Constitution, by Andrew 
Jackson who declared by the Eternal the 
Cnion must and shall be preserved, 
sanctified by the weary and cruel impris- 
onment of Jones, Mahony, yourselves, and 
other gallant spirits throughout onr land, 
will ever find a warm response in the 
heart of every incorruptible patriot. 

You are welcome, because you displayed 
a calm courage and spirit of self-sacrifice, 
when arrested and hurried off like een- 
dernned folons, over four months since, 
in violation of all law, in criminal disre- 
gard of those guarantees in the Consti- 
tution, which are dosigned for the protec- 
tion of every citizen. You were then 
subjected to a painful incarceration, de- 
nied all intercourse with friends, your 
letters suppressed by government spies 
and compelled to submit to a species of 
petty tyranny, more contemptible and 
cruel than the worst forms of Austrian 
bondage. 

Those solitary days, those lonely hours, 
those anxious longings for family and 
friends, the impulses ot injured innocence 
which swelled the heart with indignant 
sorrow on contemplating the gross wrong 
and injustice inflicted on you, the months 
of suspense, without the hope of a trial 
or the prospect ol release, when cowardly 
miscreants heaped calumny and reproach 
on you, when a venal subsidized press lost 
to all sense of honor, dead te evory senti- 
ment Of truth, and notoriously sunk into 
degraded servility to an administration 
oqually debased and corrupt, and united 
in one common purpose to strike down 
every manly independent assertion of 
constitntionnl rights— suoh trials, «nd 
such experiences have endeared yeu to 
the hearts of the people, even as the prin - 
ciples to sustain whlchyou have suffered,, 
are warmly and deeply pheriebed by us 









'.4TA 



The unprincipled ond perfidious men 
who administer this Government to the 
deatrnction or all civil liberty, did their 
urnoFt to bring contumely and disgrace 
upon you, but the people despised and 
repudiaied such rulers. Instead of hu- 
miliating you, the administration has dis 
graced itself. It litis proved by its acts to 
be the most, lawless, mean, oppressive, 
contemptible and tyrannic administration 
that has disgraced any ago or any conn- 
try. The men composing this administra- 
tion are responsible for a gross and unjusti- 
fiable outrage, perpetrated in your ar- 
rest. They acted tyrannic and cruel, when 
they denied |you a trial or an examin- 
ation. 

They acted contemptible and coward- 
ly, when they set you nt liberty, without 
disclosing the names of your accusers, or 
assisting you in obtaining proper re- 
dress. 

In all ages men who hnvo dared to op- 
pose a tyrant's mandate, have been called 
disloyal. The ancient Eastern King had 
his furnace of fire, in which to destroy all 
men who would not obey the./w/. of arbi- 
trary executive power. Our abolition 
King has his Bastiles, in which to impris- 
on all citisens who proclaim their adherence 
to the Constitution and laws. And as the 
farnace of tire has caused that ancient 
King to be remomberd only for his crimes, 
wickedness, and folly, — so theBaatiles of 
the country will perpetuate the ignominy 
and disgrace of our Abolition King, down 
to the latost generations. 

Sirs, Tou have passed through a more, 
than fiery ordeal, but yon have come out, 
e-rointi'd unth the laurel wreath of ticLqrjf, 
with your character unstained, your honor 
nnsullicd, and your manhood untar- 
nished. In addition to the outrages and 
wrongs suffered by you, these usurpers and 
satraps endeavored to impose' conditions 
wbjch would have brought shame and 
dishonor upon you. But jou displayed a 
calm courage, an unbending integrity, a 
manly heroism which can never be for- 
gotten ; and, while it serves as an example 
to excite our admiration and to chal^ 
enge imitation, — it will also exist as a 
memorial of abolition Tyranny, and per- 
petuate the infamy of the present admin- 
istration. 

All hail ! neblo oompatriots, welcome, 
thrice welcome, once more to your homes 1 



> 



SPEECH OF MR. JOHNSON. 



Mr. Speaker, and Yor, my Fhikndp 
and .Fellow Citizens: — I have no lan- 
guage that can express to you my feeling*, 



at so grand and triumphant a reception, as 
meets our view on this occasion, neither 
have I the vanity to believe, that any per- 
sonal popularity, of Mr. Sheean and myself 
could have induced the multitude that I 
sec before me to subject themselves to the 
inconvenience of both rain and mud, to bp 
present. But let me attribute it, to the 
real cause : that you are here, to testify 
your approbation of, and vindicate consti- 
tutional liberty, and personal security, as 
the same has been struck down in our 
persons, Near four months ago, by the 
arbitrary and despotic acts of one of the 
chief clerks of the present administration, 
without authority or any of the forms of 
law, but in palpable violation of thcConsti- 
tutions of the United States, and this State, 
two of your citizens were kidnapped, one in 
the very presence of the court and with his 
knowledge, if not with his approbation, 
and transported beyond the State some 
twelve hundred miles, and incarcer- 
ated in a military bastile, where it 
is a crime in the estimation of this 
administration, to attempt to avail your- 
self of the protection of the laws of 
your country, to get a hearing before any 
tribunal known to the law. Such however 
Biy friends, is the enormity of the outra- 
ges this beneficent administration is daily 
perpetrating on free American citizens — 
that it would shame an Austrian despot- 
ism When its venality and tyranny is ex- 
posed. I was arrested by order of the 
Secretary of War, on a telegraph dispatch, 
while engaged in the defence of a murder 
case, and have been transported across a 
half dozen free States, confined in two 
military Forts of the United States, in 
the House of Detention in New York, and 
under the tender care of that estimable 
protector of female character, the Kennedy, 
of Mrs Brrnsmade notoriety, and during 
all this time, I have assiduously tried to 
find out, what I was charged with, or who 
was my accuser, by repeated applications, 
by myself and friends, to the President, 
the Secretary at War, the Judge Advocate, 
and every military commander in whose 
charge I have been placed, and to-day. 
after nearly four months imprisonment, I 
am turned out without any trial or exam- 
ination, without any information as to 
who was my accuser, or what offense I was 
charged with— notwithstanding T offered 
to submit in} r Helf to a trial, before any tri- 
bunal they might appoint, either civil, 
military, or a drum-head court, and to de- 
fend every act of my life against the laws 
of my country. 



. 



« 






Such is a part of the usurpations 
and tyranny, that are practiced by this fa- 
»a(tiofj administaation on free American 
citizen.-, i want to call their attention to 
ft portion of French history — it may be 
Mjggestfjve to them, as an episode, in the 
management of Bastiles in America. It is 
said,, when the heads of Robespierre, Ihtn- 
toii, Marat, and the chief actors in the 
reign of terror, came to the guillotine, the 
Ba stiles wore open, and the people regain- 
ed some <>f the liberties they had lost. I 
have no time to teach history, 1 only al- 
lude to it in passing. 

But then-, is a oviestion of vital interest 
to 1',.,, one thai both duty and patriotism 
requires v.e should meet fearlessly, if we 
cxpuctto leave behind us, the free insti- 
tutions bequeathed by our fathers — 1 allude 
to the war now devastating our once happy 
land. It was ina ununited by the patriotic 
for the purpos- of maintaining the Consti- 
tution and perpetuating the Union. 

But unhappily it has degenerated into 
a crusade against slaver\,and to-uay, if we 
were to crush out tho South, prosecute the 
war on the principle, and for the end aim- 
ed at, would more effectually destroy the 
institutions of this country, than to admit 
the doctrines of seccession a thousand 
times. It is lime earnest honest men were 
taking this matter in hand and speaking 
Out. Already almost every house in our j not only to the laws of the country, but 



Union as it was, but we are not engaged in 
subjugating our sister State?, or making 
war to destroy slavery or the blacks, at 
the expense ol freedom of the whites.'' 
And ihe sooner this fact is understood', 
the better, both in "Washington and else- 
where. It is time every honest man was 
placing himself in opposition to all these 
violations of constitutional liberty. I 
know there are some, who justify eyerv 
act this corrupt administration may do. t 
have no word for such. God made them 
slaves, and it would be an impiety to 
effect a liberation of suuh. 

I will give way to my friend Mr Shcean, 
thanking you again and again for this 
demonstration in favor of civil liberty 
and personal security. We may now 
say tho padlock is taken off our mouths. 
The back bone of arbitrary arrests is bro- 
ken, civil and constitutional liberty once 
more proclaimed, and may the infa- 
mous scoundrel be paralizcd, when he 
seeks to introduce again a rci.^n of ter- 
ror, or hold the. rights and liberties of 
any ot our citizens by despotic power. 

1 will take an early occasion to address 
you fully, giving you my experience. In 
conclusion ; stand by the Constitution ! 
Any man high or low, in office, or out of 
office, that would violate it, on any pre- 
text, or tor any purpose, is a traitor. 



land is in mourning for some brave hiend 
or relation, who has perished in this fratri- 
cidal war, we are devastating the South 
bankrupting the North and destroying a'l 
constitutional liberty North and South. 
T iVe are given over to moon struck fanati- 
cism and tho attempt now is to adminis- 
tcr this government on the principle of 
freedom to the Negro, and Slavery to the 
white mpn. I am in opporition to all 
suhwar, and for one, will insist it is 
the duty, and our Legislature should call 
back our brave troops, until this war is 
prosecuted within the Constitution and 
for tho purport of tho restoration of the 
Union, with all its rights as they were, 
■■ ■ i ! <//', arid any man that is in 
favoroi'aiVy o'ther proposition, seeks to 
changp our Government by limiting the 
rights of Spates, is a traitor to ttie consti- 
tution, whether high or low. 

It is time every patriot in -tho land was 
awake to has true interest. Constitutional 



to civil liberty, and will yet be brought 
to that just punishment he so richly 
merits. I know you will excuse me 
now, as I have those here wno are waiting 

to see me. 

■ 

SPEECH OF MR. 1SHEEA.N. 

Fellow Citizens and Friknds; — I 
most heartily thank you for this magnifi- 
cent demonstration and gloriens welcome 
that you have extended to us, the victims 
of a despotic and imbecile administration. 
It we have been firm and true to princi- 
ple, when it was dangerous to be so, 
it was only because we thought we were 
right, and preferred to risk our person- 
al s'inrity, rather than yield to the wrong. 
But no personal considerations, no in- 
dividual worth, could call yon fogstker 
by thousands in this drenching rain. No, 
uo ; it is to testify your undyiug devotion 
to principle, your terrible condemnation 
of the acts of the foes to the white race — 
iiheVtv is on iruYl, and the question now'is I d<st.roycrs of liberty. It is to render 
-h all we, as a people, thrnuph our own j V' mv verdict of innocence upon the eal- 
I.egivhiturecomeuptothoroFcue.andsay 1 nmDJ0U5 insinuation* of our common 
to the Government, "we will famish tho j enemy. As such I accept it with pride, for 
last man and last dollar to restore the ! ll tel! ? me tnat the spirit of liberty yet 



i 



courses warmly through your blood and 
burns brightly in your hearts, that you 
are resolved to die as freemen rather 
than live as slaves, that the Lincoln Bas- 
tiles which you opened iu November 
last, should be closed again only whou 
there shall be put into them every 
abolition violator oflaw, irom Abraham 
the first down to Stanton, Washburne ftitd 
their contemptible 3pies and tooli that 
infestevery community. 

When 1 was kidnapped away from 
here, ne arly four months ngc, by the "War 
Secretary's telegraphic dispatch I aup- 
posedthatl would be dealt with honor- 
able and fairly, that I would have an ex- 
amination — a trial. I therefore sub- 
mitted to an unlawful arrest. 

I have sine* found it was never the in- 
tention to give me a trial, lhave learned 
a little by experience. I am a law-abi- 
ding man, but when a U. S. Marshal comes 
again to take me upon a telegram, at the 
bidding of an infamous tyrant without 
v, arrant or authority, he shall do it after 
A* ocerpotcert tnt , I ah all treat htm a* I 
■toould any other aaaaaain, a/iJ if need be 
plant the cold cte*l in hix heart to protect 
■inijaelf. 

I oona2 back firm in every opinion here- 
tofore held, and adhere to every sentiment 
expressed by me concerning this war. You 
all know I never believed in it and never 
gave it aid, for I believed it to be an 
abolition war, that would end in no good, 
but rather iu our destruction. I am op- 

fosed to iu prosecution now when you tui 
now and see that abolition is the main 
object for which it is waged by this infer- 
nal administration. 

And I say now as I have said before. 
So help me God, my arm or my voice shall 
never be raised for such a cause. But 
my life shall be freely given to restore 
my country to its once happy condition be- 
fore abolitionism raised its blo#dy front 
in our land. I thank you again for the 
spirit you havo manifested to-night. You 
have shown that in your estimation at 
l^ast we have been true to the constitu- 
tion and laws while our rulers have been 
violating them. I am proud of that Spirit 
and feel that a whip of scorpions should 
be put into every honest man's hand to 
lash the rascals naked round the world. 

Kotice of the Keceptioii' 

Froqt tks Galena Daily Vtmn-rat of Vtc.i. 

The demonstration in this city last night 
was truly magnificent. During the. day 



the weather was extremely unpromising, 
which preven ted thousands from being 

present from the country, who had made 
arrangements for being with m-on tftejftj 
ful occasion. Karly iii the evenintr, ihe 
rain poured down in a way to dampen th_- 
ardor Of snv 1c-- resolute than those who« u ' 
gents were in tlie undertaking. The mud 
was deep enough to render it every w*y 
disagreeable to march through the streets, 
and the darkness was almost equal to the 
{ pall which executive imbecility, and legis- 
lative stupidity have sprout over our once 
happy, but now deeply afflicted country. 
Rut none of these things could prevent 
the full expression of the joy felt >»y the 
masses. A dozen bonfires crowned the 
high places by which the city is surround- 
ed. The murky darkness of the night 
was dispelled by numberless rockets, and 
the city was adorned by brilliant illumin- 
ations, and elegant transparencies. 

At the Depot thousands were in waiting 
to welcome to their homes the now "hon- 
orably discharged" victims of lawless pow- 
er, and on the ai rival of the train which 
brought Messrs. Johnson and Sheean from 
Chicago, shout after shout, and cheer af- 
ter cheer, went up in testimony of the jo 
that was felt by every heart, while the ve- 
ry heavens were lit up by a [grand display 
of fire-works, and by innumerable tore ht is 
borne by the joyful and deeply excited 
crowd. A short but eloquent speech of 
welcome was delivered by Mr. Shisslcr, at 
the house of Mr. Johnson, which was feel- 
ingly responded to by Mr. Johnson and 
Mr. Sheean. They were then escorted 
through the principal streets, to the cit\' 
hall. On the arrival of the procession, 
the display of fire-works was magnificent 
beyond description, and the exultant 
cheers of the multitude were sufficiently 
powerful to "create a soul under the ribs 
of death." Here the large assemblage 
was addressed by Messrs Johnson, Sheean, 
Mahony, Richards, Samuels, Hutchins, and 
Baggs, after which the crowd adjourned—. 
but only for a time ; for nearly the entire 



night was spent in rejoicings over thi* sig- 
nificant event of the day. 

ltwas observed, that, while the houses 
*nd stores of the friends of constitutional 
liberty were splendidly illuminated, and 
adorned with appropriate transparencies, 
those under the control of the devotees and 
instigators of arbitrary arrests were in 
darkness — a condition in keeping with 
that into which they have plunged our 
country by their unlawful and unconstitu- 
tional acts. While we exult in the con- 
templation of the result which has called 
forth this triumphant demonstration,we can 
do no less than to sympathise with those> 
who, blind to the great facts embodied in 
our politicel institutions, and intoxicated 
by the accidental possession of "a little 



brief authority," have lent themselves to 
the perpetration of abuses and insults 
which will be long remembered to their 
disadvantage. The solemn farce of Black 
RepublicanAbolitionism is about played out- 
The people — the intelligent and truly 
patriotic masses have taken the matter in 
hand, and are saying to all violators of 
law, and all who have trampled under 
foot the sacred guarantees of the Constitu- 
tion, "thus far you may go, but no further.' 
The patient ' endurance of the people has 
been truly amazing. As the Lord liveth, 
a better and brighter day. is dawning upon 
us. Let this great demonstration stand 
as a truthful exposition of the sentiments 
and feelings of a vast majority of the peo- 
ple. 



r J?lio Sastilecl Democrat. 



BY P. G. FERGUSON. 



They bore h>ra to a gloomy cell, 

They barred him from the light, 
Because he boldly dared to tell 

The people what was- right. 
He dared his single voice to '.•ai3^, 

Agaiust oppression's power. 
To show by truth's unerring rays 

The dangers of the hour. 

They called him bv a traitor's name, 

And with a fiendish hate 
Heaped on his head a load of shame, 

Such as on felons wait. 
'They dragged him from his peaceful hearth 

Upon a tyrant's word, 
Although the vilest man on earth, 

Should by the law be heard. 

They shut him up, but could not chain 

His free and fearless soul ; 
The sacred chamber of his braio 

Was ftee from their control. 



They could not bind the eagle thought 
That from his mind took flight, 

Efface the lesson he hud taught, 
Or bar the truth from light. 

For though within a dungeon damp 

They shut him from the day, 
They could not quench truth s airy lamp, 

Tli at burns with fadeless ray. 
But haik ! upon the sea of life, 

What sound comes from afar » 
It is the harbinger of strife, 

Of red, ensanguined war. 



■ 



It is the people's voice that breaks 

Like wild waves on the ear ; 
It is tlie people, w trump that shakes 

The earth both far and near. 
Lift up thy head, 0, Martyr brave, 

Thy chains will brokeu be ; 
The people come their friend to sav« — 

Look up thou wilt bo tree 1 

,' 

i 













DIHCLON CTXtl^S) 



I 



OF THE 



SECRETS OF AMERICAN BASTILES. 



in Tin; 






Speeches of M, Y, Johnson and David Sheeaii, Esqs,, 
DELIVERED IN GALENA, ILLINOIS, 






J-j&.JSTTJ^Tl'^Z- S 3 1863. 

And Published by Request of their Fellow-Citizens. 



c 



An Invitation Accepted- 

Galena January 2d lxr,:'. 
JA-ws, Mddiion Y. Jo/inson, ami David 

Gentlemen : — The undersigned solicit 
you to address the friends of Constitutional 
Liberty, in the city of Galena, nt Davis' 
.Hall, on the evening of the 8th day of 
January, if suited to your convenience, 
on the subject of your arrest and incarcer- 
ation in the administration Bastiles : 



Robert Brand, 
Fred. Staul, 
(iiiis. O. Collins, 
T. S. Parks, 
"W. Kuhman, 



F. A. Collins, 
H. 11. Ckak. 
Loiis SlllSSLER, 
B. C. St. Cvk, 
P. Byrne, 



J. H. Barry. 

Callna, January 2d, 1863. 
2li'gsrs. Brand, Collins, Staid, Gear 1 , and \ 
others : 

Gkntlf.ilex:— It is with pleasure we 
accept your invitation to address the friends | 
of constitutional liberty, in the city of ! 
Galena, at the time and place designated ' 
by you. 

M. Y. Johnson, 
David Siieean. 



.Introductory Remarks. 

On being called to- preside over the 
immenBO gathering of the people at 



■ 
■ ■ 

Davis Hall, on the evening of January 8, 
assembled to listen to the speeches of 
Messrs. M. Y. Johnson and D. Sheean 
Esquires, L. S. Everett submitted the 
following remarks. 

Friends and Fellow Citizens : — 
1 sincerely thank you for the unmerited 
honor which you have conferred upon me, 
by calling upon one who is comparatively 
a stranger among you, to preside over 
the solemn deliberations of this meeting. 
Wo have assembled here to-night, to 
listen to the recitals of two of our fellow 
citizens,, who in flagrant violation of the 
oncstitntion of the United States andof the 
State of Illinois, in open disregard of law, 
and in obedience only to the criminal 
behests of a weak and wicked adminis- 
ration, were, some months ago, seized 
and dragged away from their homes, and 
incarcerated in dark and dreary Bastilos. 
On a contemplation of the objects of this 
meeting, I confess to you that it seems 
like being suddenly awakened from a 
troubled sleep to a realization of a horrid 
dream. With profound earnestness we 
inquire if these things can be so V Ac- 
customed as we have been, to the un- 
disturbed enjoyment of peace and free- 
dom, under the protection of wise and 
beneficent laws, and well understood 
constitutional guarantees, we are amazed 
at the rocklessness and folly of those who 
have, in the exersise of " a little brief au- 
thority" thus rudely trampled upon the 
sacred rights of American citizens. But 



10 



we have the highest authority for saying 
that those friends of ours who have Wen 
subjected to the indignities which will 
be related in your hearing this evening, 
are not the only ones against whom those 
great wrongs have been committed. 
When the divine Master was on earth, he 
bestowed his blessing upon those who 
had •ympathitically Bhared the sufferings 
and ministered to the necessities of his 
friends and co-laborers. And when his 
wondering hearers asked, "When saw 
we thee an hungered and fed thee, naked 
and clothed thee, sick and in prison and 
visited thee ?" he replied that inas- 
much as they had done it unto the least 
of his friends, they had done it unto 
him. And so every wrong done to a 
friend or fellow citizen, is an outrage up- 
gn the personal rightB of all. We are 
here, therefore, to listen to the recitals 
of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Shoean, that we 
may know the extent of the injuries done 
to ourselves. They have been taken 
away from our city without the sanction 
of law, they have been imprisoned with- 
out the shadow of an excuse, they have 
been "honorably discharged" without 
the poor apology of a trial or even an 
examination, and they are now here with 
fnll liberty and ample ability to speak 
L>r themselves. 



MR. SHEEAN'S SPEECH. 

Dtllceied hefore an immense concourse of 
■people, assembled in JJai.-is' Hall, on 
Thursday Evening Jan. 8, 186b. 



[Published by Kcijuest.! 

"We are apt to shut our eyes against a 
painful truth," said the patriot, in no less 
eventful times than these. The people of 
these United States h;ive baeh shutting 
their «yes to many painful truths, for the 
lust t\>o years, and more. They have shut 
thein to the fact that the party notoriously 
hostile to the Union, Constitution and laws 
of those States, had obtained control of the 

foremment, both Sbtti> and National. — 
hat the man, who but a short time before 
proclaimed that this Union could not per- 
manently endure hall' slave and half frefi — - 
that it must become all one thing or all 
the other, became the President of the Uni- 
ted States, and called around him as advi- 
sers, to the most prominent places in tho 
Cabinet, Wm. II. Seward, and Salmon P. 
Chase, two of the three Senators who in 
I*W voted to rcorivo in the Senate of the 






United States, a petition to dissolve the 
Union. They have shut them to the fact 
that these men once had it in their power 
to allay the angry storm that was brewing 
in our land, which burst forth in blood and 
strife. That under the pretence of patriot- 
ism they have sought to make their proph- 
ecy good, and their dogmas paramount to 
the good of their country. That our im- 
becile, reckless rulers and their fanatical 
partisans, sought the war as the best means 
of accomplishing their "irrepressible con- 
flict." They have shut them to the fact 
"that history furnishes no instance where 
ten millions of people, earnestly believing 
in the justice of their cause, were ever 
subdued by war." They have shut them 
to the fact that "war is disunion, certain, 
inevitable/' And, blind to all this and 
much moro, they have offered themselves 
up to slaughter under the lead of imbeciles, 
until nearly every child in the land is fath- 
erless, and every wife a widow ; until ev- 
ery household is beggared and every com- 
munity bankrupt, until the clothes we 
wear — the food we eat; the business we 
follow, the wages we earn, the air we 
breathe and the thoughts we utter are pol- 
luted with the presence of the hungry ex- 
ciseman , until vice and corruption in the 
government has become a virtue — until the 
Constitution which our fathers gave us has 
been trampled in the dust, and the land 
consecrated by their heroic deeds is del- 
uged in blood — its people enslaved — their 
rights violated, and outraged, while the 
ne^r i is elevated and the white man de- 
graded. 

Is it not time that we open our eyes to 
the truth ; that we shake off that spell that 
bound us through a whirlwind of excite- 
ment, and look our dangers full in the face, 
and seeing them grasp them like bold and 
brave men, and thunder it in the ears of 
the tyrants at Washington that by the 
eternal the people's voice shall be heeded. 
[Cheers] 

It is the bounden duty of the patriot to 
criticise and condemn the wrongful acts of 
his rulers ; and he who refuses to do so is 
a slave to power, or a cringing sycophant 
unworthy, the name of freeman. It is the 
part of despotism to crush out all free dis- 
cussion, to muzzle and intimidate the press, 
to silence the timid, to imprison and get 
rid of the fearless, and enforce an abject 
submission to the will of the would be des- 
pot. To prevent such acts a free people 
must be ready to die in defenso of their 
rights, and meet every usurpation with 
such firm rwisturo that lynuay wiU 



11 



quail before the barrier presented. In all 
ages every infamous and corrupt despot 
has had his advocates and apologists 
a nong the people. Office 1 — power — gold, 
always gains friends without regard to 
merit. So with this infamous administra- 
tion, it has its apologists aud upholders in 
every community, and so numerous are the 
jobbers, contractors, office holders, money 
makers and political Charlatans, infecting 
where they fly and poisoning where they { 
repose, [cheers] that it is no wonder the! 
yoica of an honest people is well nigh sti- J 
tied, and personal liberty well nigh crushed f 
out. If we mean not to be enslaved — 
if wc mean to save what is not already de- j 
atroyed — if we do not intend to have blot- \ 
ted out entirely the institutions bequeath- f 
ed to us by revolutionary sires, and come- < 
crated by the blood of patriots and the pn- \ 
ticnt sufferings of generations of oppressed j 
freemen, we must fearlessly, boldly speak . 
ont that which the people have desired for 
several months. I repeat, the people must 
proclaim that we shall have peace. [Tre- 
mendous cheers. ] That a dishonorable ' 
warfare, made so by this administration, ! 
shall give way to an honorable peace. The 
soldiery desire it, the patriot desires it and } 
the people will have it ! The corrupt Cab- 
inet and office holders in Washington will t 
never make it. They do not desire to sec t 
the war stop, until every negro is free, and ; 
ever} - white man a slave; until the. politi- i 
eal leeches that cling to the nation shall 
have sucked its life blood out, and filled! 
their debauched carcasses with the ill got- 
ten price of their country's ruin — until the 
Constitution nn( i government which they ; 
swore to support and uphold, shall have 
been destroyed. 

Freemen, you should awake before all is j 
lost. The administration is fast destroying j 
the last vestige of liberty — the government | 
you love—your all. Shall they finish 
their work ? [Cries of no ! no !] No, no ; 
let liberty live — let our government survive 
— let us be free at the cost of everything 
else. Hurl your condemnation of these 
lawless acts of our rulers at their heads. — 
Speak your will to them and then if they 
heed not — let them take warning from j 
history. No time can be lost— remember I 
that "Eternal vigilance is the price of liber- i 
ty." Do you doubt that they are ruining 
us V Their history of the last two years J 
proves it. Besides see how, step by step, '. 
they have encroached upon our constitu- j 
tional rights. Time, after time they have 
deceived you— caught you with the sweet 
cry of "the flag and the Union," and then 
when they had their clutches on you,poured 



on your heads their abolition vinegar. 
| That's so] The evidences of it are too 
numerous to he all attended to to-night — 
The system of arbitrary arrests is perhaps 
one of the most unwarranted, dangeroos 
and high handed of them all. 

Being a fresh victim of that system, I 
propose, at the risk of being tedious, to 
give you n little of its secret history, and 
that of the Bustile, Fort La Fayette. 

In the fore part of August last that in- 
estimable piece of corruption, K. B. "W ash- 
bin ne, with others, held a private consult- 
ation in the city of Chicago, at which it 
was determined that myself and Mr. John- 
son should be arrested and sent away from 
our homes. Towards the last of the month, 
after conspiring with his tools here, he left 
for Washington, and on his arrival there a 
telegraphic dispatch by order of the Sec- 
retary of War was sent over the wires, di- 
recting that we be conveyed to Fort 1* 
Fayette On the evening of the 38th of 
the same month I was taken out of my of. 
fice, upon this dispatch— denied the privi- 
lege of leaving a letter te tell what bad 
happened — my carpet sack taken around 
a back street sous not to attract attention, 
and myself conducted along another, a 
prisoner, to the cars, and whirled off to 
New York city, thence by Kennedy's drtec- 
tive taken to Fort Hamilton, a receipt given 
for us by Lt. Col. Burke, who summoned 
a guard of eight men — put four in front and 
four behind, and marched us to the wharf 
ami into a boat to cro*s into the middle of 
the channel to our prison, Fort La Fayette. 
While we crossed we could observe the 
dark, dungeon like walls of the octagon 
shaped prison, black, frowning and solita- 
ry, rising out of the fofiinmg sua. The 
thought came hurriedly to our mind -is 
this republican America, or have the em- 
blems of French and Austrian despotism 
come to us ? We were taken to the pres- 
ence of the Lieutenant commanding, our 
watches and money demanded, and taken 
by him with as much audacity as though 
he was performing an honorable duty. — 
After our persons and baggage were search- 
ed we were then put into a battery with 
f< rty -seven others, furnished an iron 
stretcher and a muttrass, a blanket, and a 
single sheet for our bed*. This battery, 
bum which 1 and others were transferred 
to cell No. 2, has a brick floor, and five 
cannon mounted on carriages. The- place 
was filthy, damp and dark — the air fueted. 
This is the place so truthfully and graphic- 
ally described by Gov. Morehead. Heie 
I waii the place where, but a few months be* 



12 



fore, b dying prisoner was denied a light, 
to let his companions witness his death 
.struggles, to administer to him comfort in 
his last hours, or close his.eycs •when dead. 
And here we found ourselves prisoners of 
State, shut in from home and kindrued, no 
titled that the employment of co nsel to 
assist us would he an aggravation of our 
offence, and the process of the co urts to 
reach ns, defied and prevented, by an armed 
somfery and a brass six pounder, de- 
risively called the "Habeas Corpus," to 
guard the entrance and sweep out of exist- 
ence the Sheriff and his posse, should thej- 
dare to enter for our relief. 

And here we were subjected to the rigor 
and petty tyranny of a shoulder strapped 
turnkey, who compelled us to submit to 
the .taunts and insults of his sentinels, put 
over us night and day, and reprimanded 
or punished us if wo retorted, or resented 
them. Some of these took every occasion 
to insult us, others sympathized with us. 
We were compelled to goto the sally port, 
and ask permission of the Sergeant to go 
to other prisoners' quarters, or to draw a 
bucket of water out of the cistern at our 
(iwn doors. The same permission was re- 
quired to get coal or wood. We were com- 
pelled, also, to stay in our apartments or 
within a space of fifteen feet square in front 
if them, except for a few moments morn- 
ing and evening, when all the prisoners 
but Soule, Mazzarau and Thomas, were 
allowed to mingle together in the open 
. o-.irt, about thirty yards square, within 
the walls of the fort. This was all the 
exercise we were allowed. 

The wives and friends of those who 
came to visit the inmates after going to 
Washington and as a great favor obtain- 
ing a pass from Sec. Stanton to enter, 
were required to hold their conversations 
in hearng of the commandant, and their 
interview was limited to one hour. Such 
letters as we were prcmittcd to receive 
wero deliverd to us already open and 
rend, and those we sent out delivered 
open to be examined and disposed of as 
the commandant paw proper. If thoy 
contained anything of complaint or cen- 
nure against him, they were returned to 
ih« writer for alteration, if ther" was any- 
thing in them against tho Moguls at 
Washington they were sent to that city 
ns "treasonable." (laughter.) Thus was 
our keeper a spy upon the prisoner and 
all his correspondents outside. At sun- 
down we were compelled to "get into our 
holep," and tho doors wero locked upon 
ub while the window upon tho same Bid e 



and large enough to get a man through 
was led open— were not allowed to talk 
or .have a light after 9 o'clock, and on 
one occasion before my arrival there, I 
was informed, that the prisoners were 
fired upon through the port hole, by the 
sentinel outside, who heard them talking 
after that hour, and he was promoted for 
gallant conduct, (cries of shame.) The 
soldiers were not permitted to converse 
with us, or we with them ; and when one 
of them fixed our windows and fire grate, 
an oflicer and armed sentinel stood by for 
houry, while it was being done to prevent 
communication. If a ship had to be fired 
upon to make her return and report to 
the revenue cutter, we were locked up 
while it was being done, and on one oc- 
casion when the British ship Dispatch 
refused to return, but anchored under the 
guns of the fort, we were thus kept for 
forty-eight hours. Were also locked up 
whenever those in solitary confinement 
were taken to the commandant's presence. 

Those who did not have the means to 
furnish their own provisions, and cook 
them, were compellcdjto eat 6alt pork, bread 
and poor coffee for breakfast, — the same 
for dim-er, substituting water for coffee, 
and the same for supper minus the pork- 

Every Friday they were supplied with 
a raw onion (prolonged laughter,) the 
whole served out upon old rusty tins, 
placed on each sido of a greasy pine board 
on "horses" and guarded while it was 
being eaten with a sentinel armed with a 
musket and fixed bayonet. After diseaso 
began its work thisfood was varied by an 
occasional piece of beef and vegetables 
by order of the Physician to preserve 
health- 

In addition to all this barbarism and 
much more that I have not time to des- 
cribe, one of our number, John Hipkins 
was put in the guard house a darkened 
place six feet long by two wide, and there 
compelled to stay and sleep upon tho 
bruk floor without bedding or covering 
for twelve days and nights. This punish- 
ment was inflicted because he jerked a 
chair out of another prisoner's handwhich 
was in dispute between them. (Oh! oh! 
and cheers.) And 1 was iuformed by 
three of my messmates who experienced 
it, that at one time last winter, they were 
compelled to draw, and even to go down 
and dip water out of" a cistern, in which 
the washings from tho kitchen flowed in 
consequenco of the ice filling the gutter 
through which it usually ran. Thia 
water they had to boil and skim before 



1 



13 



using, nrid would gel a tea-crip full of filth 
out of a gallon of it. (erios of shame) Ne- 
cessity ' did not compel the use of this 
water— no not even "military necessity," 
for at (he same time there were two other 
Cisterns in the fort full of ch an water. 
It was done as we used to ss^y, out of 
"pore cussedness." Such galling acts of 
petty despotism and barbarity, are un- 
paralleled in the annals of history — would 
he incredible if not actually witnessed and 
felt, and coulju havo no ether ohject than 
to attempt to degrade and humiliate those 
upon whom they are practiced. The 
commandant Lieut. Wood excuses hurt- 
s' If by saying these are his orders. Con- 
victed felons could no:, bo treated worse; 
yet very few have ever been able to guess 
why they were so treated — none have 
haen informed of it or of whom Ins accu- 
sers were, and out of ail the numerous 
political prisoners incarcerated, not one 
Fnis been allowed a trial; but were turned 
Ooi as arbitrarily as they were put in. 

On l,ho 2!)th, of August I wrote to 
Judge Advocate Turner, whose name was 
signed to the dispatch for my arrest, re- 
questing him to inform me what were the 
charges against mc, and who were my 
accusers; and although he acknowledged 
its receipt, at a personal interview after- 
wards, he never answered it, and never 
did inform \w. On the 4th, of December 
J wrote to the Secretary of War, renew- 
ing to hiin my request for information, 
and demanding if he had any charges 
against me or any to make to give me a 
trial, and an opportunity Id refute them, 
Yet he has been as silent as the grave. 
And the petition of of i(H>0, of my fellow 
citizens, copies of which were sent to Tur- 
ner and the Secretary of War, asking for 
a trial, has bteen treated with contemp- 
tuous silence. On the 12th, of December 
an order for my release upon parole, was 
road to me and my answer request d. 
J refused to submit to any conditions for 
my liberty, (prolonged cheers. ) The 
next evening I was released uncondition- 
ally. Thus after being kidnapped from 
home without process of law, condemned 
without, trial, and imprisoned without 
crime, I was released without being in- 
formed of even a pretended charge or an 
apology made for the wrong committed 
upon me. And not only all this, hut they 
undertook to enforce upon mo with as 
much right to do so, as the robber has to 
take your money, an infamous condition, 
to palliate their wrong. 1 was in a differ- 
ent situation from the noble patriot and 



fearless defender of truth, D.A. Mahoney, 
and therefore refused to accept it. I was 
ybuhg : and healthy — hed no family reques- 
ting my presence and attention. He was 
aged and broken in health, and although 
he might sacrifice bis own life to get his 
rights— he would have no right to sacri- 
fice his family. He was their protector 
and preserver, and it would have been 
criminal in him to withhold that protec- 
tion, even at the expense of a conditional 
releas. (Cheers. 1 But to thoso who knew 
his situation and advantage of it, the world 
would have nought hut scorn and indigna- 
tion. His name will bo honored while 
theirs will be held in execration, and 
handed down through nil time as tides of 
infamy for them and their posterity. (Re- 
newed cheers. | 

I must now give you a brief sketch of 
some of my fellow-prisoners. Among the 
first brought in after our arrival, was an 
Irishman from Penn. Dennis Dickey, a 
man that would not set a river on fire, 
much less overthrow this government, 
(daughter) taken out of his potatoo patch 
dirty and ragged, from a family of six 
little helpless children, he was not allowed 
to change his clothes or see his wife, who 
knew not where he had gone, until a week 
afterwards. On his way to the Bastile 
he was offered his liberty if he would give 
information against bis democratic neigh- 
bors, (sensation) hut coming from a 
country where the informer is justly des- 
pised, in the manliness of his heart lie 
indignantly replied, he had nono to give, 
and if ho had he "did not come to this 
country to turn informer." He was re- 
leased after six weeks imprisonment 
npon taking an oath to obey King Abra- 
ham. (Laughter.) 

Another, was Mr. Herkimer from 
Otsego Co, N. Y. a farmer fifty years of 
age kept three weeks, and .released upon 
giving bond that his son 22 years old 
would respond if drafted. The son was 
doing business for himself, but was living 
with his father, and had left of his own 
accord. 

Another, David Bendann, of Baltimore, a 
tlagucrrcan, supposed to be imprisoned for 
putting out of his office a IT. S. officer 
who abused and insulted him — kept 
several months and released without trinl. 

Another, («. W. Porter a "loyal'' man 
of the same place, an editor of a c"inm»r- 
cial paper, supposed to be put in for pub- 
lishing news that depreciated U. S. stocks 
in New York city. The 'Herald, publish- 
ed the same news two days afterwards — 



14 



Kept four months, and released without 
apology. He says he never hears any 
news now a days. Fort Lafayette has 
cured him of the desire to get news. 
(Laughter. ) 

Another, Wm. II. Childs, a Vormon- 
ter, who had made his home in Alabama, 
married in Ohio, where his wife 
died in 1801. after which he attempted to 
return. home for which he was arretted by 
Gen- Grant, put in irons, sent to Camp 
Butler, there kept a week in winter, in a 
board house, tbon sent to Fort Lafayette, 
kent there thirteen months without a 
charge against him,and now uncondition- 
ally released. 

Ex-Congressman Ed.son B. Olds, of Ohio, 
a firm unflinching patriot, and a terror to 
tyrants, whose name and treatment you 
are already familiar with — his room bro- 
ken into at night — taken out of a sick bed. 
hurried off to the Castile— stripped ot his 
clothing, his money, watch, spectacles, 
medicine and other valuables; all the 
other prisoners locked up so that they 
could not see him, and he placed in a soli- 
tary dungeon, with double guard over him, 
denied a light, books or paper, and even 
the bible, which he asked for. And in his 
sick condition, this sufferer of sixty years 
of age, was compelled for twenty-two days 
to eat salt pork and bread, and 'rest his 
aged limbs upon an iron stretcher, with a 
single muttrass, — his only pastime to keep 
his almanac upon the wall of his dungeon 
with a rusty nail. No wonder that the 
Herjreant who handed his nork and broad 
to him, exclaimed, in the bitterness of his 
heart, " It is a shame to treat him so." He 
was thus treated, for making a democratic 
speech at his home, a little in advance of 
the time when democrats did speak out. 
And after four months of imprisonment ho 
waB turned out, unconditionally, without 
examination, but not until after it, was tried 
to make him bend the knee to the corrupt 
Moguls at Washington. May he yet make 
the ears of Gov. Tod and Lincoln feel the 
sting of an honest injured man's lasb. (We 
hope so and cheers.) 

Another, , lames R. Butts, a private cit- 
izen from Macon, Georgia, sixty years 
old, a cotton planter and dealer, who voted 
for Douglas for President in I860. He 
was taking a pleasure ride in a boat,which 
upset and ho was picked up by a man of 
war, lying off the coast of his State, and 
in Audi last he was sent to Ft. Lafayette 
and kept there until the 20th ol Novetn 
her. Jn addition to his other afflictions 
while there his wife died, leaviDg a8 his 



only consolation, a beloved daughter, 
then going to school in Ponnflylvania. — 
When she found out her father's condi- 
tion, she wished to see him, but the old 
gentleman could not bear to sec his child 
in such a place. He had a prospect of 
getting out, and sent for his daughter to 
come and stay in New York until he should 
be released. She enme, but he was not 
free. She longed to see her lather, and 
proposed that she would go to the wharf, 
at Ft. Hamilton, with glass in hand, and 
he should stand at Ft. Lafayette wharf, 
with a glass, and each look at the ether— 
a day was appointed but the weather was 
bad — another day was anxiously fixed — 
it came, and the father and daughter wer« 
separated only by four hundred yards of 
rolling sea — ■the glasses were raised, 
and the choked utterances of " my 
father"' — " my daughter," were born 
upon the breeze. Three sweet hours were 
thus spent in realizing " how near and yet 
how far apart they were.'' But when he 
returned to his cell and for a week after- 
wards, my heart was filled with sorrow 
and compassion, as I heard him say, with 
tears in his eyes— ^" I wish I had not seen 
her- I feel worse than I did before." — 
Another, Samuel Barry, called the Com 
modore because, he was a seafaring man,- 
was sent to the Fort in July last— no 
charge whatever preferred against him. 
In September he was offered his release 
upon taking the "oath" but being sensi- 
tive of bis honor he refused — his impris- 
onment constantly preyed upon his mind, 
and after much mental struggle, he fold 
the commander in November that be 
would take the oath. No attention how- 
ever seemed to be paid to his offer. His 
mind became more troubled. until 
j it began to loose its balance, and finally 
I tumbled from its seat, and he became a 
raving maniac, and in this condition he 
was released on the LUh of December 
upon taking the oath of allegiancs. — 
(Shame, shame.) 

O what a contemptible administration 
wc have, that requires an oath even from 
a maniac, to excuse and cover up its hide- 
ous outrages. If you, Abraham Lincoln, 
and Secretary Stanton, have souls as large 
as a mustard seed, you should tromhlo be- 
fore, your God at this iniquity alone. — 
Commandant Wood was professionally no- 
tified that Barry was boconting insane, by 
Dr. Olds, a week before ho became entire- 
ly so; and two weeks beforo he was re- 
leased, Wood said he reported the case to 
Washington, yet thus waa he continued in 



JT 



15 



prison and thus released. 

I might enumerate other cases which my i 
friend and and co-partner in prison wiil 
relate, and still others.of boys, deprived of 
the guidance of parents anJ iho correc- 
tion necessary to youth — of old men, whose 
silver hairs and tottering g;dt show that 
the grave is near, and that death will soon 
relieve them from the walls of Lafayett ; 
and the troubles of the world, hut I will 
pass them, and finish with Stephenson the 
negro, a regular South Carolina rebel 
[laughter] who would always put " Stone- 
wall'' Jackson against the best Northern 
general his companions, the cooks could 
startup. He &nd his "massa," were tak 
en in rnning the blockade, and consigned 
to Ft. Lafayette,— " Steve'' to the cook 
house, his "massa" to the battery. Steve 
was told one Gay that "massa" was going 
to take the oath; he said it wasn't so — 
"massa" was as good a Southern man as 
he was." [Gnatlaughier.] The prisoners, 
and among them Steve, had frequently 
written to Washington in relation to their 
cases, but could get no answer. One of 
them told Steve to write and tell them that 
he was a colored man. [Laughter | He 
did so, and in a few dtys after he got 
an answer, and a discharge. (Tremend- 
ous cheers and laughter. | The negro 
alone could get an official answer from 
Washington, and have attention to his 
case. 

Turning from these it is with pleasure 
that I mention the names of Francis Hop- 
kins, the prisoner's friend, living near P't. 
Hamilton who contributed in various ways 
to the comfort and convenience of the un- 
fortunates. And Mrs. Gelston, also, liv- 
ing close there, whose many kind and gen- 
erous contributions made us feel that an 
angel's hand administered unto us. May 
God bleBu them and give them in theii 
heart, that sweet consolation of having 
doue good, which alone can make earthly 
recompense for such noble acts. 

Had this system of arbitrary arrests 
the semblance of law, the manner in which 
it is conducted, and th 
victims would be sufficient to condemn it. 
But when wo lind that it is in palpable vio- 
lation of law, and the oaths of its conduc- 
tors, it is most aecursed, most damnable. 
The colonists, in the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, complained of George the III 
for "atfecting to make the military inde- 
pendent of, and superior to the civil pow- 
ers" — "for depriving them, in many cases, 
of the benefits of trial by jury" and " for 
transporting them beyond the seas for 



pretended offences." All these usurpa- 
tions have been re-enacted in America, by 
Abraham the 1st and his Cabinet. Yet 
the people have not rebelled. They have 
sent the citizens of these States, for pre- 
tended offences, beyond the jurisdiction of 
the courts denied them a trial by jury, 
and justified it on the tyrant's plea of "mil- 
itary necessity." claiming that the mili- 
tary was superior to the eivil power, and 
making it. so by frequent open defiances ot 
the process of the Courts. And that, too, 
in States where the judges of courts and 
public opinion thirsted with the desire to 
punish, severely, even a symptom of dis- 
loyalty, or the least infraction of law by 
thes? who were made the victim of this ar- 
bitrary power. 

Abraham Lincoln on the 4th of March 
1861, in pi esence of high Heaven and the 
people of the nation, took tho following 
oath. " I do solemnly swear that I will 
faithfully execute the office of President 
of the United States, and will, to the 
best of my ability, preserve, protect and 
defend the constitution of the United 
States." Secretary Stanton and all the 
President's Cabinet, took an oath to sup- 
port that constitution. That constitution 
provides, that •' The trial ofall crimes, 
except in cases of impeachment, shall be 
by Jury, and such trial shall be held in 
the State where the said crimes have been 
committed." (Art. 3, Sec. 2, cl. 3.) 
Yet in violation thereof and their oaths 
to support it, Secretary Stanton with 
the knowledge and approval of President 
Lincoln, transported us and hundreds of 
others cut of our own States upon pre- 
tended offences, they announced their in- 
tention of trying us not by jury, but by 
a militar)' inquisition. 

That constitution further provides 
that " In all criminal prosecutions the 
accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy 
and public trial, by an impartial jury of 
the State and district wherein the crime 

bo in- 

of the 

the 

the 



shall h avo been committed 
formed of the. nature and 
treatment of its j accusation ; to be confronted with 
witness against him ; and to have 



and 
cause 



assistance of counsel for his defence" 
(Amend. Art. C.) Yet in violation thereof, 
and their oaths to support and preserve 
it, Secretary Stanton with the knowledge 
and approval of President Lincoln, took 
us nr-'.d hundreds of others, out of the 
State and district where they pretended 
an offense was committed, denied us a 
rial by jury, refused to inform us of tho 
cause or nature of tho accusation againj 



16 



ue, refused to confront us with the wit- 
nesses against us, or inform us who thoy 
were, refused to let us have counsel, and 
notified us that the employment ol such 
would he an aggravation of our offense. 
• That constitution further provides 
that " The freedom of speech and of 
the press shall not be abridged. That 
no person Bhall be deprived of lile, 
liberty, or property, without due process 
of law,, [Amend, art 1 and 5 . ] Yet in 
violation thereof and their oaths to sup 
port and preserve it, Sec. Stanton with 
the knowledge and approval of Pre siden 
Lincoln, has imprisoned hundreds of 
honest men, for exercising the freedom of 
Bpeech, and differing in opinion, with 
them and dissapproving of their law less 
acts. They have abridged the freedom 
of the press and denied its issues circula- 
tion through the mails. They deprived 
us and hundreds more ofonr liberty 
without any due process of law, war- 
rant or authority, whatever, known to 
the laws of the land. 

The constitution of our own State pro- 
vides that no "freeman shall be imprisoned 
or in any manner deprived of his life 
liberty or property, but by judgment 
of his peers or the law of the land"(Art, 
13, Sec. 8.)"That no person shall be liable 
to be transported out of this State for any 
offences committed witbin the same" (Art 
13 Seo. 18.) Richard Yates, before he 
entered upon the duties of his office as 
Governor, took a solemn oath to preserve 
and protect that Constitution. Yet for 
the last year he has witnessed the trans- 
portation of the citizens of Illinois out of 
this State for alleged pretended offences 
committed within this State, and imprison- 
ed in foreign Bastiles, without "the 
judgment of their peers" and ugainst 
"the law of the land." And he has not 
only quietly set by and permitted these 
outrages to be perpetrated, but actually 
approved of it, and refused to demand a 
return of the citizens of this State for 
examination, to answer any charges that 
might be brought against them. Shame I 
on the curupt imbecile at the bead of our 
State Government. May the glorious \ 
State of Illinois ne ver be disgraced by 
Much another.(Applause) How he sinks 
into insignificance when compared with 
his Republican compeer, Gov. Oldan of 
New Jersev, who protected the citizens of 
that State" from arbitary arrest by his 
firmness in meeting the usurpations of 
the Washington dynasty with a determin- 
ation to resist all such villianous exeraiso 







of power. 

These violations a!ot>e of constitutions 
and oaths would be enough, in any other 
country, to consign their violaters to the 
block, and their apologists to infamy. — ■ 
But tbey shall not in this country escape 
their justpunishment. Eternal truth shall 
triumph over vvroug, and the guilty shall 
meet their doom, lie who subverts the 
constitution and laws ofhia country, be. be 
high or low, President, Governor or cit'zen 
is a traitor. He who violates his oath is a 
perjurer, and those who abet and justify it 
are accessories to the crime, and must all 
meet a common fate. (Give it to them.) 

Already the United States marshal 
and the affidavit makers concerned in 
these violations of law are in jail for their 
acts in Trenton Xew Jersey upon the indict- 
ment of a grand jury, (applause.) And from 
the indications Sec Stanton will be indict- 
ed in New York, for kidnapping, by au 
honest law abiding jury under the 
charge of the upright and fearless judge 
Hoffman. (Applause.) And the fool of 
Lincoln, Stoughton Bliss, who arrested 
Hr. Olds of Ohio, and conveyed him to the 
Bastile, has been held to bail in the sum 
of $1000, to answer an indictment that 
will send him to the penitentiary for 
this lawless act. (Immense applause.) — 
Our own State laws provide for confin- 
ment in the penitentiary of persons guilty 
of similar offences. And when this Jaw 
shall be vindicated in this State as it surly 
will, we shall see those who were laugh- 
ing in their sleeves at the temporary 
triumph they had achieved over Mr. 
Johnson, myself and others, wearing the. 
uniform of a convict at the public expense, 
(tremendous and continued applause.) 

This Administration and its minions 
may, now as heretofore, proclaim, like 
Shakespeare's Richard III, "Our .strong 
arms be our conscience and the sword 
our law,'' and set at defiance the man- 
date of the courts and the penalties of 
the law. But let thorn remember that like 
Shakespeare's Richard, their course of 
infamy though flourishing for a time, 
will have an end. and the good and noble 
of the land will shout Hqsannft when 
"The bloody dog is dead," and honost 
men are left to " enrich the time to come 
with smooth faced peace" (Cheers.) 

Had one of the thousands of political 
prisoners, arrested and imprisoned in 
Dungeons by the executives of this 
nation, violated a tithe as much of the law 
and constitution of their country as has 
been done in 'their treatment, tho people 



IT 



would not complain, but say be was 
rightly served. How, then, Bball they 
who are the sworn custoaians of the con- 
stitution and law, escape the just punish- 
ment meeted out to the faithless and 
perfidious servants ot the people who 
have become the destroyers of constitu- 
ions and assassins of liberty. "Military 
necessity" wiJl not save them when 
justice with her uplifted sword demands 
the forfeiture. The forfeit of their 
crimes will be demanded and 
rendered up. (Cheers.) 

There are around us too, and in our 
midst, a set of base and servile tools, 
informers and spies, for this most cor- 
rupt and infamous administration. Post- 
Masters 10 break open and read your 
letters, judges who deny the great writ of 
liberty the "Habeas Corpus," a set of 
affidavit makers,ready to swear by whole- 
sale, a puck of street-hounds, smelling 
at the heels of every democrat, and bark- 
ing at their every honest expression. A 
class of scurvy sneaks and cowardly 
detainers— stabbing us in the back, and 
•milin^in our faces. The whole the 
corrupt offspring of a disgraceful and 
detestable system, established by this 
Puritan Abolition .Republican Adminis- 
tration. Can these escape punishment? 
tome of them have taken rope enough 
to hang themselves, and the rope shall 
be pulled upon them. The rest will be 
shunned as fiends whose presence is a 
pest and whose touch is pollution. (Loud 
applause.) 

You have, too, a home guard here. ' 
(Laughter) What is it for? to uphold 
the law ? Who else has violated law but 
its friends? Have not democrats the 



upon the blood of their sister sects, and 
now, in the name ot liberty, they are 
hurling from its foundations every stone 
in that temple, and putting their heels on 
the necks of every freeman. We have 
been saddled with their schoolmasters, to 
poison the youth, their preachers do dis- 
grace the pulpit (that's so) mingling the 
purity ot heaven with the abolitionism ot 
earth and hanging the tatters of a political 
: piety upon the cross of an insulted Savio'. 
uet be | Tbeir politicians to curse the land with 
j their intrigues, and blight it with their 
j doctrines. And we have been saddled 
; with their yankee Washburnes, to 'Strike 
lusty blows for freedom (laughter) ten 
feet from hi? shoulder; to skedaddlo from 
Bull Run battle field (derisive laughter; 
i and to imprison democrats. Through 
! these the people were deceived -demora- 
| iized — abohtionized. For thirty yesrs 
: this school has made its onslaughts upon 
the Constitution of the United States, and 
institutions of the Union, stamping the 
former as a "league with death, and a 
covenant with hell" — laboring' and pray- 
ing, petitioning and threatuing the disso- 
lution of the Union — resisting the law, 
and casting odium upon honest and faith- 
ful judges — making odious and untruth 
i'ul comparisons between the two sectious 
of the country — teaching the "higher law' ; 
and "irrepressible conflict'' doctrines, 
until, finally, these demons in the disguise 
of virtue succeeded in getting control of 
the general government, and a majority 
of the State Governments ! Then came 
hovering over us the threatning cloud of 
war, disunion, blood, and strife: then was a 
lime for Abraham Lincoln to make him- 
self a more than Washington, and his sup- 



friends of liberty been the only sufferers ! porters to gather more than revolutionary 
from a violation oflaw; Is it intended to • fame. It required but compromise to 
protect there victims from arbitrary ar- ,' prevent the coming strife; statesmen 
rest, from illegal imprisonment, from i urged it, patriots hoped for it, and chris- 
mob violence? No, my friends, it is in- tiana prayed for it. But the abolition 
tended to stifle free speech, to put down demigod pointed to the Chicago Platform 
the friends of liberty, nd silence ! as his guide, and his followers cried out 



opposition to the galling despotism at- 
tempted to be fastened upon us. They 
have insulted the citizens of this city by 
their presence too long already. I have 
only to say to this guard let them beware 
how they tread on freemen. (Loud cheers; 
The people of this nation have already 
paid the penalty of entrusting the lights 
of Government to the New England school 
of fanatics. That Puritan school has been 
for years sapping the foundation of civil 
liberty. In the name of religious freedom 
they fed their bigoted cannibal appetite 



this Union is not worth a rush without a 

little bloodshed/' The hearts of patriots 

sunk within them. The treateniug storm 

burst upon ns like a tornado. Sixty days 

| after sixty days, ana ninety days after 

ninety days was it promised, that peace 

J should come, and we be again a united 

i and happy people. 

Millions upon millions of dollars were 
called for and expended. Five hundred 
thousand upon five hundred thousand men 
were called for, until a million and a half 
of Northern soldiers were under arms. — 



is 



Thousands upon thousands perished in 
theeanip, or were slaughtered upon the 
battle held, until mourning millions sent 
up a wail of sorrow from every house- 
hold in the land. Still we were cunningly 
promised that all shia waa for the Union, 
its peace and prosperity, until the execu- 
tive unable any longer to conceal what 
his acts always" foretold, openly proclaim- 
ed that it was all for the emancipation of 
the ne^ro ! A nation bankrupt for the 
r.egro. *[Say it again.] The Union of 
these States destroyed for the negro. The 
Constitution subverted for the negro — 
Three hundred thousand Northern lives 
lost for the uesro. Southern cities burn- 



the bayonet. You know this must be done 
even if you succoed. "What, then, becomes 
of our free government, "deriving its just 
powers from the consent of the governed"? 
Is it not destroyed and a military despot- 
ism erected in its stead. [Yes ! Yes !] — 
\V hat noes it profit you to save the Union, 
if you destroy liberty, to do it ? "When 
you lose your liberty you lose everything. 
1 know not what may be your choice, but 
for toe I would rather die a freeman, than 
live a slave. I would be free in the whole 
Union if I could, for I love it all. But 1 
would prefer to live under a tree govern- 
ment having far its territory the single 
State of Illinois, than to live under a des: 



ed sacked, andSouthern homes desolated, J potism encircling the whole of ^orth 
their people threatened with estei mina- j America. [Continued applause.] 1 am 
tion and attempted to be subjugated, that i therefore for peace and liberty, and against 
the negro might revel on the ,ioil drenched '■ -i. ->»«n,i A aon ^;* m x^a t «-mrlH at .nri tH:> 
with the blood o*' their masters. 

Oh what a horrible picture to contem- 
plate. What a terrible punishment awaits 
that murderous, bloodstained, law-ubus- 
ing.abolition Republican party. [Cheers.] 

The world will condemn them, man- 
kind will despise them, and history will 
brand them with an infamy bo dark, so 
deep, so damning* that the cheeks of a 
future generation will tingle with burn- 
ing shame when they hear their father's 
name coupled with that hideous word, ab- 
olitionists. [Loud applause.] 

I have bat little more to say. In my 
judgment there has been blood letting 
enough to satisfy even the .Michigan Chan- 
dler, "and his blood thirsty followers. — 
Those men who are constantly crying out 
for war and vengeance, urging everyoody 
else to peril their lives, but dare not risk 
their own — those summer soldiers and 
sunshine patriots brave in their tongues 
but cowardly at heart. My Republican 
patriot, I would ask you in all candor, what 
have you gained by this war '? Cod knows 
vou have made us ail lose el tough, but 
what have you gained ': You have sot a 
few Hundred »egWW>e tree, bin see the cost 
o: it. Alter eighteen months C jf blood and 
■trifo, you are farther to-day hv-m subdu- 
ing the South, than v» hen you began* and 
every day of hs continuance widens the 
breach between the two sections of the 
country. .Are (here those amOKg you 
whohonestlj believe yet, that this pniqn 
can be preserved by war ; Let me ask 



war and despotism. And I would send th 
i tidings round the world, and rumbling 
! through the tottering thrones of Europe, 
] that amid national death and disunion me 
1 spirit of liberty triumphantly rode the 
! stormy wave of passion and disorder, and 
i found a resting place in the. heart of every 
I American. [Applause]. We owe allegi- 
j anee to the Constitution and laws of our 
• country, but we owe no allegiance to any 
j man or set of men. [Cheers, j We owe 
i none to the lawless acts of this administra- 
tion — we owe none to its system of arbi- 
j trary arrests — to its subversion of State 
j sovereignty — to its emancipation policy — 
I to its violations of oath and Constitution. 
j And to submit to them longer is not patri- 
! otism, but cowardice. [Appiause.j If 
they are attempted to be forced upon us at 
the point of the baj'Onet, I for one am 
ready to shed my blood in defence of lib- 
erty and Constitutional lights. [Long 
confined applause.) 

MR. JOHNSoS'S SPEECH. 

Delicered In/orr, an ii/ttiunst eoncdiwat i>j 
people, asptntyfd in. Jhuix' Roll, o;» 
Tharsda;/ Kci -iiiinj Jan, 3, ISGii. 



Mi: 



[Published »«y Hrijuest.] 
Cu.V1K.V1.IlN AM) VOl MY I'KLLOW Clf- 



rzi\s : --It rejoices my heart, to be 
again to address Vou in this Hall. 



abh 
My 



(Jietne is not politics or party, on this pa- 



you, blind and misiak.-u as you are, sup- ; jj^U s 
_ ; :,, .>..,./, .. ..<■;..,, tin. unnth I . 



pose you snoveu in conquering the south, i , 
and place au aim} hi every town, and a 
soldier at the uoo'r en every rcl.^i, to exU'j 
force abedienee to the law at the point of 



casion. I am here by your request, to 
some little part of the Lnliimy, ami 
— -iy, and 'despotism of this, tie.- most 
imbecile, wicked, and corrupt administra- 
tion that" has -'over oTsgraceu a free people 



or imperilled civil liberty. 



I* 



I need make no a polog y or excuse to 

you for using strong language, when you 
take into consideration the ftfct that I am 
«.Deahinp of the Usurpations and violations 
of nil the sacred guarantees'thrown around 
us by our fathers. When tin: fair fabric 
of freedom is assailed, a reign of terror 
attempted on the part of those in power, 
free speech avid a free press suppressed, 
sndthe v.-ry palladium of our liberty, the 
'■on.st.itution of our country, is violated and 
lies bleeding at every pore, and that, at 
the hands of those who had sworn to pro- 
tect it, making the double crime of perjury 
and destroying the birthright of your 
children and mine, by the aets of the peo- 
plb',9 servants. lam aware it is regarded 
by those in power, as a crime, to speak of 
the tyranny and violations of personal 
rights, by the present administration, but, 
'.hat rule does not apply tome. T have 
paSB the penalty, and 1 propose to talk as 
b moecddli an ArtlGrtetn citi/.en and take t!ie 
reiiKequcni.T . 

I intend on this evening to recount to 
you some of the usurpations and despot- 
isms of this administration. And allow mr 
here to remark, there is something in the 
doctrines of this abolition party, not 
only destructive to all constitutional gov- 
ernment* hilt ih our social and political as- 
Boo&tions it is equally blighting. Not 
even docs the judicial ermine escape its 
polluting influence, Wherever the demon 
of abolitionism fixes its fangs, fanaticism 
takes the place of law and order, and the 
judge on the bench, partaking of its influ- 
en&t yields to the mad fanaticism, "there 
is no safety anywhere. It reduces the 
whole community to the degradation of! 
b' ing subject to -pies and informers. — 
The most sacred domestic relationship is 
invaded, your hind girls are examined to 
km>w where you go, who you associate 
with, and what your eon vev;..;itb ;n in your 
family is about, and all this, with perjury 
addbd — to keep a man imprisoned that 
they dare not even acedse of a crime. 

I was arrested in the presence of the 
Court, while defending a murder case, not 
only without any authority, but without 
any of the forms of law, and transported, 
in violation of all constitutional guarantees 
across six free states to a military prison. 
No court raised its voice even to say in the 
mildest terms.this is a violation of law. 

But, on the contrary, when ihe Joffieer 
stands ready to kidnap me, to expedite 
bis illegal act, as I could attribute it to 
no other object, I am forced to conclude, 
at a night esesion, a defence, where a 



man ts being lru)d for his life. It" I had 
no right to complain for myself, of the 'in- 
warrantable violation of all law in my ar- 
rest, yet in the name of humanity, I 
M against bUcii *u> administration of 
the Criminal Laws of our State. It is 
true, T was allowed, by permiesion of the 
officer, to finish the case, by getting the 
pri-oner sentenced to the penitentiary for 
his natural life. But I have found out by 
sa 1 experience, it is not a good plan, to 
*ry a murder ease, when the attorney is 
himself being kidnapped in open Court. 

This. was the include to a darker chap- 
ter in the history of this infamous outrage, 
! overtook Mr. Sheean in Chicago; and 
we went to Fort Lafayette together. IJa 
has described p. with our treatment gen- 
erally. There are some incidents, how 
ever, which he has not described, and a? 
the American people have an interest in 
knowing how this benign government 
treats free American citizens, they dare 
not charge, much less try, on any charge 
of an offence. 

1 will call your attention to a few. The 
first is that of the la' e Minister of <he U. 
State?, to the four! of Spain. The Hon. 
Pierre Spule,late a U. Slates Senator from 
LomViona, a man of towering intellect and 
true loyalty to our government, who was 
sent jo' th". Bastile on the order of that 
mon-trr Ben Butler, who has rendered 
bis name jnfampus ip. the Bight ut Chris- 
tianity and civilization. A hough confined 
in the" next cr-svimitc but one V> me, 1 
dared not speak to him unless when the 
back of the guard happened to be turned 
to us. 

There was the Ten crated and distin- 
guished iludge Carrmchael, a man wbe 
adorned the Beach,, n fit associate and 
bosom friend cf the chief Justice, of tbe 
Supreme Court of the United States — a 
man in every relation in life, without a 
peer, 'fids incorruptible Judge, for hon- 
estly dechriog,on the Bench, that all these 
''arbitrary arrest" were in violation of law. 
arid the persons ordering, and those makn 
itig the nrrests, wer, 'isblo m indictment, 
and on conviction to bo confined in tho 
penitentiary — For this offence, in the es- 
timation of this corrupt administration, ha 
was assaulted by the minions of power, 
while, on the Bench in th > Court, beaten 
until be was insensible, and dragged to 
Lincoln's Basiile, where, in its damp and 
mouldy casemat* -s he suffered a thousand 
d| aths, from iufiamatorY rheumatism — 
Yet, like a noble old Roman, he bore it all 
without complaint. For more than six 



r 20 



long, weary months, was he subjected to 
outrage and imprisonment for discharging 
his sworn duty as a Judge ! 

And to show that their perfidy is only 
equalled by their cruelty, the Secretary 
of War gives a release and hands it to 
Revcrdy Johnson, to mail to him, and 
♦hen telegraphs to the officer that it is to 
be disregarded and not obeyed. Then 
to taunt r he prisoners, he issues a general 
order, discharging all political prisoners, 
and publishes it to the world, and sends a 
secret order to the officers of the Forts, 
directing them to disobey the order, and 
not to discharge any of the prisoners 
under it, and without discharging anyone, 
reports toCongress that theyare alldiechar- 
ged, knowing that as all communications 
with them must be by his special permis- 
sion, his perfidy could not be exposed. 
What must the world think of our free, 
government, with such a lying caitiff, as 
this Secretary of war at its head. 

There was Mr. Powell of Maryland, a 
distinguished lawyer, and a member of the 
Legislature, after six months weary im- 
prisonment, the Secretary of War tele- 
graphed to the commander," to release Mr. 
Powell, who is said to have been arrested 
about the time of Judge Carmicbael, and 
is supposed to be in Fort Delaware." flow 
tenderly is personal liberty protected by 
them. How jealous they must be of the 
liberty of the citizen, to forget there was 
such a man in their Bnstiles. 

There is Col. Zarvouney, who has been 
in solitary confinement since last Feb- 
ruary, who is said to have gone crazy, 
when his aged mother got permission 
from Stanton to see him, she hnd to see 
him in the presence of the officers, and 
before that could be done, every prisoner 
had to be locked up, and he was then 
marched out of his gloomy walls under 
guard of a file of soldiers. 

There is Lieut. Hipkins, for disputing 
with a deserter from the Confederacy 
about a chair, was put into a cell about 
three feet wide by six feet long, on the 
bare brick, without even a blanket, and for 
ten days before 1 left was kept on bread 
and water. 

Just before I arrived, one of the priso- 
ners died. When he was sinfcing^aud it was 
nn parent lo toe other prisoners he would 
■ die before morning, they informed the 
officer, and begged, for that, night only. 
i that they might be permitted to have a 
•- candle, which was refused, and there they 
i sat in the dark, around his cot marking 
J the ebbing of life, as they felt the ohunmy 



sweat on his foreheai, and heard the death- 
rattle in his throat — when it ceased, his 
spirit had taken its flight, his body only 
was the tenant of a bastile. Tyranny had 
done its worst. Out of 1,500 who have 
been confined in these forts, every one 
has a history, and no one h^s ever been 
tried or convicted. My republican friends, 
should we not be proud of our Govern- 
ment, as administered under your Presi- 
dent, "honest old Abe ?/' 

I know you will justify it all, because 
the victims were only Democrats, and they 
have no rights that this administration is 
bound to respect. But suppose it was a 
"free American citizen of African descent." 
that was treated in that manner, then 
you would howl indeed, for it is your vo- 
cation. You may talk of the despotisms 
of France and Austria during the reign of 
terror — they can be justified. There it 
was an outraged people who had been 
crashed by power, who freed themselves 
by sangu nary slaughter, with a full knowl- 
edge of all the crimes that had been per- 
petrated against them. No wonder they 
were bloodthirsty. But these are tho 
crimes and usurpations of the people's 
servants, without parallel or excess, in 
the best government the world has ever 
seen. To make it a parallel case with 
French history, we must wait until the 
people determine to restore this govern- 
ment to its constitutional limits. Then 
the guillotines, said to be ordered by "Old 
Abe.*' will be. useful. How Ions; this thing 
may be tolerated is merely a question of 
temper, with those Avho love their 
country. If you but feel the pulse of th<» 
loyal, you will find the time has already 
passed, when to oppose, tyranny and usur- 
pation is treason to the government. The 
blatant cry that opposition to the adminis- 
tration is treason, is "plaj'ed out." Tho 
people can draw the. distinction between 
the government based on constitutional 
liberty, and personal security and the 
wicked usurpations, tyranny and violations 
of all law, by a Ret of fanatics who happen, 
as a judgment on us, to get into power. 

The people are asking themselves who 
are the the traitors to this government? 
The men who would preserve and pro- 
tect it, as our Fathers made it, or the cor- 
rupt scoundrels, who would justify the 
acts of an administration, in violatingjevc- 
ry provision of the Constitution, de- 
stroying freedom, and rearing a military 
despotism in its stead, on the plea of ne- 
cessity. Aye — yes, that 6ame plea of ne- 
cessity to-day has butchered 300,000 of 



21 



out btaVte citizens, placed .*>bwiy;guard of I were getting delsperate. Nobody bad 
armed soldiers around an American Prj r d "thi desperate man" with any 
ider.f, and at the door of the Secretary of ff e , and a 5 [ would not swear ©ul of 



War. 

When history cones to record the jruilt 
of tho administration of .Abraham Lineoln 
it will say that tho people stood by 
in amasement and saw themselves en- 
slaved for the negro. Their liberties lost 
to achieve tho freedom ofthe slave. Then 
indeed our children will answer — who is 
most to blame, we for standing by and 
seeing our (JoveThment overthrown, or 
those wbo committed the deed ? 



the fort, they found debased tools, who- did 
swear to alleged private conversation, 
when no one wa p ■> • the price of 

on as Sheriff. If any man who 
knows me, thinks I would take uoh« (Jrear 
tiffe into my confidence, he is, mistaken; 
parti ulariy when 1 was arri sted and did 
on what charge* it is enough 
for me to say, the '- ; rte thing as stated, 
is an unmitigated falsehood. 

But 1 must be guilty of some offense, 



There are a few matters personal to my- making it n< cessary to prejudice ; 
self, which I deem it proper to allude to- your eyes, so affidavits axe mads aa i 
I was incarcerated tor four months, not am,to]d, as I never have seen thorn, rcha*'"^ 
only without an offence, but, without even i | n g r>r . w jth being aKnow-Nothing is 
the charge of an ofi'enoe, and turned out as I You will all remember that the same 
I was anvsted, without, any oath. The charge was made, by Washburne foxfr 
villains who caused my arrest had not 1 Tears ago, arid said to be on the authority 
even the courage to make a charge against f these same affidavit-makers. I then 



mo, and yet these are honorable m n, but 
assassin-like, when they had got mc 
confined and knew I could not defend my- 
self, they commenced a system of perjury, 
to destroy me if possible. 

First comes the Ballard affidavit; that 



charged that it was lie, at a large meet- 
ing at the Court House, when they were 
all" present, and called for his witnesses. 
Iwcsiiot then in a bastjle, whera I 
conl I not be heard, that makes the differ: 
enco with the affidavit-makers. I leavo 



first makes its appearance in the Chicago it to the community to judge, on their own 
Tribune, on the arrival of E. B. Wash- showing, what credit they are entitled to 
hurne. With it the charge that I was a j n swearing against me while in a hostile, 
Knight of the Golden Circle, accompanied 1 when the affidavit-makers, themeelvef 
with the declaration that Ballard was a dishonored perjurers, in exposing the 
truthful man, and said they found tho evi- matter, if true, when they proclaim their 
dence on me of my being a member of the own infamy and falsehood, and then a=k 
order. What are the facts? I never I you to believe them. Comment is unneces- 
talked with Ballard in my life on any < srry. 

subject, and 1 hold in my hand a state- | There is one other matter, and I am 
ment signed by 19 gentlemen, made after j done in behalf of myself. I allude to that 
I left the Fort", charging the whole affida- i exemplary ebristain, iu professions, Elder 
vit to be a wicked, base and ridiculous Houghton of the Advertiser. It could not 
iileehood; and that Ballard was regarded have es aped your notice, that, that de- 
bv them and the officers of the post as de lectable sheet, was run some months for 
ranged, or crazy. They di(/ find on re: my especial benefit. There was nojfe'e 
what they preiended was evidence of too monstrous for its capacity, no insin- 
of my beinga Knight of the Golden Cir- nation too base lor its comment and a p- 
cle, and what do you think if wasl As! proval, not even the Bacred domestic 
was about leaving, Capt. (-ear handed me relationship Of husband and wife, but he 
one of his regimental orders No. 2 to or must outrage by falsehood. One would 
ganize the militia of this State, which was think, when he had contributed so much 
found in my pocket when they searched Kto outrage me by pablishing every bo 
me. ThV order waa. the t^e evidence that that malice could invent, on my Ming 
I was about t* precipiuite you all into the . turned out, without even a charge bejb" 
bosom ofthe Southern Confederacj . j made against me, somo reparation si 

Then came tho examination ofthe [girls ■■>■ ve be in made. But no, his littleness of 
who had livert in my family. , soul is as incapable of, an act of justice, n* 

If it. were possible for me to talk treason . it is void of truth or a manly impulse. I t^as 
or hold any intercourse with traitors, they j been a matter of profound study with me 
were not invited to be present, consequent- | to determine, which element prevails in 
ly, they did not find out anything worthy ! conducting that paper,malice,hypoericy or 
of being recorded in an affidavit. Things stupidity. With all his enterprise he has 



22 



not learned we arc released, and had a 
grand reception here. He may yet discov- 
er something — the end is not y.^t. 

" If we bat watch the hour 

" There nev'eryet was mortal power 

" That c6uld evade, if unforgiven 

" The patient search, and vigii lonjr. 
" OJ him who treasures up a wrong/' 

I now solemnly declare to you that 1 
have never violated any law of my country 
and I would he willing to have every of- 
fence of my Iffe, written on my forehead. 
Nor would I pull down ray hat to conceal 
it. But these cowardly miscreants will 
wear their shame and infamy, like the 
mark of Cain, iudellihly stamped upon 
them, to excite the. se>rn and contempt of 
every honest man. If I could perpetuate 
the supremo contempt I feel, my glance 
would wither and petrify thorn, like Lot's 
wife, to exist an eternal monument of dis- 
honor and disL'raes 

Let me give you an incident of how 
matters of State are conducted. For 
some great Military reason, it, was found 
necessary to separate Mr She?an and 
myself. I was taken to the House of De- 
tention in New York <~^ity, and put in 
with negro, slaverF, £e. The Marshal 
was advised that 1 was "a dangerous 
man," and had better be ironed, in remov- 
ing me to Fort delewaro This was the petty 
malice resorted to, in tin Vain hopo of 
humiliating mo. 

But the Millitary reason was explained 
by <4 QM Abe" to a friend of mine. It 
^ne that Sheean and myself had given 
him more trouble than all the other 
political prisoners, and he Found it 
neccessary to separate us, because we 
were 60 stubborn that he could do nothing 
with ub, and we were corrupting the 
other persons in the Fort. That is, in 
plain English we would not swear out, 
and our Rt'ybborncss induced others 
perhaps, to refuse his proffered oaths- — 
Hence in his statesntaitllike Strategy, 
he no doubt, supposed that if we were 
separated, and humiliated by outrage, 
he could overcome our objections to 
taking the oath.' Such conduot on the 
part of tho head of a great Nation, is too 
degrading to excite even contempt. 

But. I propose to direct your attention 
for a few rnomeuts to a question ot mora 
importance than all others — one involv- 
ing the dearest interests of mankind. It 
is not simply your and my interest, and 
the interest of our children, but it affects 
civil liberty, the very existance and por- 
petuity of our present form of Government; 



j and when such interests are involved, a 
| man must be a base slave and coward, if 
i he would not speak out. 

Our beloved country is in peril! The 
l temple of liberty is assailed hv fanatics 
j aud miscreant*. Constitutional Govern- 
j ment is on trial, and it is the duty of eve.rr 
! patriot to peril all to preserve it. I al- 
- hide to the war now devastating our once 
'happy land, without discussing the ques- 
tion, as to the right of the Government to 
i coerce a refractory State, under our Gon- 
i stitution, which the framers of it utterly 

• ignored, or the other question, admitting 
j the right to coerce, or who is responsible 
! for this war with, all its ruin, deso'ation, 
J physically and morally: while I have a 
i distinct conviction, and believe history 

will show that it was a ba?e conspiracy 
between fanatics and traitors in New Eng- 
land, to give freedom to the blacks at the 

• expenss of the whites. I do not now pro- 

t pose to discus* that question. But I do 

j propose to raise my voice against this 

1 fratricidal butchiry of our American citi- 

i aens. to satisfy the cupidity of contractors. 

! or the worse than d"mon fanaticism of 

! sentimental abolitionists. Let ue come up 

to the importance of the question. The 

interests involved are of mure importance 

than personal liberty, or life itself. 

It is a question of Constitutional liber- 
ty, whether we will preserve our Re- 
I publicati form of Government, as our 
I Fathers made it. or tamely standby and 
see the govertomeni destroyed — our broth- 
ers and friends slaughtered— the South 
subjugated, and worse than '" Sepoy'' 
brutality inaugurated ; the North utterly 
bankrupted, liberty strau^led and a mili- 
tary de t; v>otifttJ in its stead. That is the 
question. 

No. my friends, I am for peace. The 
bloodthirsty fanatics and government con- 
tractors may call this treason. If it is, 
they will soon find it generally adopted. 
Already the people see the fraud, on the 
part of those who are resposiblo for this 
war, and I tell you in the languge of 
prophecy, i< this war goes on, whether 
the South achieves their independence or 
not, The Worth, icillhavt lost hefp!. What 
is to be accomplished by it, what is it for ? 
If wc wero to succeed and subjugate 
the South, as the most crazy fanatic could 
wish, do we not destroy, not only the 
Uuion, but our present form of Govern- 
ment North and South, and in its place 
Introduce a military despotism more ab- 
ject than slavery itself. Then, indeed, 
you would hare Military Governors all 






3S 



over the laud, like Ben. Butler <\nd Hun- 
ter. 

No, my friends, thia is an abolition war, 
conducted lor the benelit ot contractors 
and negroes, and not to preserve the Gov- 
ernment. It is a war in which white men 
have all to lose life, liberty, property, 
honor and free institutions, lor what ? 
That the " Free American citizen* of Aiii- 
can decent" may have, freedom and 
squalled poverty, and the • white- man 
slavery, a despotic Government, and taxa- 
tion. 

Let me ask my Republican friends.wheu 
you conquer the South aud free all the 
pegroea, what are you goin» to do with 
thtm? Our laws will not allow them to 
oome to thie State : but .Mr. Lincoln has 
given us their status. They will be hired 
out to their old masters for reasonable 
wages. Cut wnen the Union is restored 
these will be slave States. My Repub- 
lican friends say we have destroyed slave- 
ry — then your whole pretence in fighting 
for the restoration of the Government 
16 a lie, and you prove yourself both a 
traitor and a hypocrite. 

Ours, as a Constitutional Government 
has ceased to exist. The Constitution 
with the present administration, is uo more 
regarded than a last year's almanac. Yet 
you find men sustaining this administra- 
tion, in all its violations and usurpations, 
and ready to call you traitor if you insist 
on constitutional guarantees. Look at 
our case. Wo were arrested in violation 
of all law. The sovereignty of the State 
was invaded; the Constitution of the State 
was set aside. We were transported be- 
yond the Stite, and detainta for four 
months, without even the charge of an oi- 
ienee, and turned out without ;.ny trial or 
examination, Or as much as informing us 
who charged us, or what the pretended 
charges were, if any, aud yet this great Re- 
publican patty, both here and in Congress, 
justify the act, to screen a wicked and 
corrupt administration. It eeems to eve 
that this love for the negro, makes men 
lose all feeling of patriorir'm and regard 
for justice, law, humanity aud common 
decency. 

If a Democrat would eouDtenan.ee, 
much less justify, such Tyranny, his ehesk 
would burn with shame. But "it is left for 
Republicans to show what degradation 
party is capable of. I turn from the 
picture in disgust— men become brutish 
beasts in the tilth and slime of such a 
f arty, My friends this war should cease. 
Already the hones of Three Hundred 
Thousand of our brave fellew-eitizeui lie 



bleaching on many a well oontested 
battle field, almost every house in our 
land is in mourning for the death of 
some relativivo or friend. How many 
widows and orphans are thrown on the* 
cold ohar.tv of the world, our land 
hroneht to ruin and desolation I Enough 
blood has been epilt in this causeless and 
uiiatural war, to satisfy the most blood- 
thirsty. None but contractors and demo» 
ffogues, who are fattening on the ruin. 
of their Country, are in favor of it 

Let us then, with one voice, demand,, 
through onr Legislature, that an armis-i 
ties bo had, that our Troops bo called, 
home, and we cultivate Peace as zealous- 
ly as we have cultivated war. 

If it be Treason to favor Peace, to 
love my whole Country, its constitutioa 
and Laws, then indeed am I guilty. 

In conclusion, my friends, let ma 
entreat you. to guard, with jealous care 
Constitutional Liberty, and personal 
security. Preserve this Government as our 
Fathers made it, with all its check? and 
compromises. Resist to the bitter end, 
all ^violations of Law, and usurpations oi 
Power, whether it he on the part ot the 
President or any of his minion?. Dl* 
charge vour duty faithfully , and a happiej ■ 
day of Peace over a united Country wil i 
yet dawn on our once happy land. 

Tiie Ureat Gathering of th< s 
People. 

The Mends of Constitutional Libert? j 

in the city of Galena, assembled at Davit i' 
Hall on Thursday evening, January ! 

1803. L. S. Everett was appointed Ch&i r- 

M 

it 

ill 

jd 
of 

in 

■y, 



man, John S. Collins Secretary of tl 
meeting. After a brief and eloquei 
speech from the Chairman, David Sheoi 
addressed tli3 meeting, and was follow* 

! by M. Y. Johnson. The speeches 
Messrs, Sheean and Johnson portrayed 
vivid and burning language, the cruel! 
injustice and wrong which American ai ti- 
zens had endured in the abolition basti ies 
of the present administration, deseril jed 
the tyranny and corruption of the i nee 
who administer this government, andl ield 
them up as objects of public scorn and 
execration. Their narrative of the sU ffer- 
ings and privations of our citizens, s iade 
the tears glisten on many a manly ct leek, 

jwkil* their eloquent appeals in behs; If of 



94 



•a violated and dishonored Constitution 
kindled to wildest enthusiasm, the Strong, 
deep and profound feeling df patriotism 
which inspired the hearts of that vast au- 
dience. 
• On motion of L; ShissW, a committee 

• of five were appointed to draft resolutions 

expressive of the sense of the meeting. 

'- -The Chair appointed L. Shissler, E. A. 

4'ollms, T. S. Parks, Andrew Cannon, 

u^.-l Win. Dickson as said Committee. 
The following resolutions were reported 

by the Committee, through Louis Shissleri 

tl ieir Chairman : 

THE RESOLUTIONS. 

Mesoheet. That as law-abiding citizens 
vr« i are attached to the Constitution and 
th e laws, and insist that they shall be 
rei peered and enforced in this State ; thai 
thi furotection of the liberty of the citizen 
is the highest and most sacred guarantee 
of' the Constitution, and any attempt at 
arb itvary arrests should be promptly met 
by all good, loyal citizens, and resisted by 
fort -e to the bitter end. 
■ t mlhed, That wo earnestly request the 
Le" islature of this State to demand ot the 
Pre! ident, the papers, affidavit s and ehar- 
if any, which may have been made 
vstM.Y. Johnson and David Sheean 
other bastiled citizens of this State, 
hom, and at .whose instance they 
arrested, the names of their accusers, 

dl parties connected therewith and 

hat authority the President or his 
taries have dared to trample on the 
'.cs of the citizens and to violate the 
sightyof'this State, and that such 
be taaen by the Legislature as will 
it a renetition of such outrages.^ 
■Amf/That we cherish the Union; 
deep and undying devotion, and 
...ur matchless Constitution as £h< 
Charta of our liberties, that we Be- 
lie abolition fanaticism and pu- 
hypocricy pf New England has 
e source of all our national misery 
fttdatibri, and that peace and hap- 
■annot be permanent so long ^ as 
jments of discord and destruction 
/ inlluence in the councils of the 
therefore to save, our country from 



ge* 
agax 

and 
by tf 
wer* 
and ; 
by * 

SfCllE 

libertj 

Soveri 
action 
prever. 

with a 
revere 

Magna 
lieve t 

ritanic 
been th 
and 'deg 

piticSS I 

those ei 
have an 
nation ; 



utU-r vrr eck and ruin, we call on all patri- 



otic conservative citizens to stand by thar 
Constitution and oppose this abolition fa- 
naticism, wherever it prevails. 

• Resolved, That this war, brought on by 
the abolitionists to destroy slavery ,but held 
out to the loyal people of the Union as be- 
ing wagvj for the maintenance of the Con- 
stitution and the laws, i.s an unnatural and 
fratricidal war, and ought to cease. And 
we declare the President's proclamation of 
the 1st of January, openly and directly 
converting it into a war for the freedom of 
the negro, to be a wilful and corrupt vio- 
laciou of the Constitution ; that fraud and 
perfidy have been practiced on the people, 
i and on the gallant soldiers from this State 
I — and we respectfully request our Legist 
I lature to recall the Illinois troops from the 
field, until the President shall return to his 
'allegiance and show his loyalty to the 
! Constitution. 

! Iiesolad, That in order to terminate' the 
I present unhappy civil war, which is de- 
j straying the lives of our noble and gallant 
soldiers, entailing misery, woe and desola 
! tion throughout the land, which is alike de,- 
[ structivc- of the vitality and best interest, 
of the North, as well as of theSouth,and if 
continued threatens to bring upon us anar- ' 
chy and ruin ; therefore we request the 
legislature of this State to pass a resolution 
calling on the President to declare an ar- 
mistice- of 9U days for the purpose of A fair 
and. honorable settlement of our present 
difficulties. 

Resolved, That the Chairman of this • 
meeting be requested to transmit a copy of 
j these resolutions to the Legislature of the 
j State. 

The resolutions were adopted without a 
j dissenting voice, and greeted with a tempest 

i of applause. 

On motion of M. Y, Johnson, a comrnit- 

tee was appointed to draft a Constitution 
for a Democratic Central Association, to be 
j organized in this County, and that said 
committee report to-morrow evening. — 
[The following named persons were appoin- 
ted as said committee : M. Y. Johnson, 
|D. Sheeari, L. Shissler, F. Stahl and E. T. 
'Green. 

With three hearty cheers for the Con*. 
stitution, the meeting adjourned. 

John S. Collins Sec'y. 



54 W 








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